1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to toilet tissue dispensing apparatus and, more particularly, to adaptors for supporting a larger than conventional diameter rolls of tissue in existing roll tissue dispenser support apparatus.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various adaptors are known in the prior art and have the intent of allowing an existing toilet roll holder to hold more toilet paper than a single roll of toilet paper of conventional diameter. Some of these adaptors are intended to support a single roll having a greater diameter than a conventional roll. Other prior art adaptors are designed to support a supplemental roll from the existing toilet roll holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,838 to Young teaches a device having a cylinder of fixed length for supporting a roll of toilet tissue. At each end of such cylinder there is an arm having a projection on one end thereof for insertion into an opening in the mounting bracket. One of the arms is connected to the cylinder by means of a hinge and is spring biased to rotate away from the arm at the opposite end of the cylinder. A plurality of set screws are used to adjust the cylinder toward or away from the bracket so as to enable paper rolls of differing diameters to be received in the bracket. Such plurality of set screws also enable the adjustment of the cylinder at a desired elevation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,636 to Linick teaches an adaptor apparatus for supporting rolls of toilet tissue having a larger than standard diameter from an existing toilet roll holder. Such adaptor includes a spring loaded cylinder to support the roll. At each end of such cylinder there is a bar having a plug extending from the distal end thereof for insertion into the openings of the existing toilet holder bracket. Four flexible struts are provided which extend back to contact the wall in which the existing toilet roll holder bracket is mounted. Such flexible struts serve to maintain the bars in a horizontal position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,124 to Sieven teaches a toilet tissue bracket which includes arms for supporting a spare roll of tissue ready for instant use or for supporting a spare roll enclosed in a protective container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,265 to Turro teaches a holder for a reserve roll of toilet tissue. Such holder includes telescoping tubular portion having arms located at each end thereof. The arms include hooks intended to allow the bracket to hang from the existing toilet roll holder mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,365 to Sieven teaches another adaptor to allow the support of a spare roll of tissue from the existing toilet roll holder mandrel. As with the adaptor taught by Turro, Sieven teaches an adaptor having arms with hooked ends allowing the support of the adaptor by the engagement of such hooked ends with the existing mandrel.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there is little in the prior art which teaches adaptors allowing rolls of larger than conventional diameter to be supported from existing roll tissue holders as of the type commonly used in the residential home. Further, those adaptors which are designed to support larger diameter rolls are either not capable of adjusting to the variety of shapes of existing roll tissue holders which may be encountered, or rely on relatively complicated and unsightly set screw arrangements such as taught by Young. Further, dispenser adapters which would rely on set screw arrangements have the significant disadvantage of not only requiring tools for installation but further, having such set screws applied forcefully against what, in many cases, may be a ceramic fixture. Residential users will not only likely be opposed to the appearance of such set screws, but further, there is the potential for cracking or chipping the permanently affixed ceramic fixture through the installation of the adaptor with such set screws.